I've now returned from Hawaii and am reimersing myself in everyday life, I'd rather be in Hawaii. I plan to do more posts on my trip and talk about the rest of my stops, and Norwegian Cruise Line. I thought though I would give an overall impression of Hawaii. I don't know if words can fully express the beauty of Hawaii, and part of the problem is that the beauty is in so many different forms - from beaches to mountains to cliffs to plants and trees.
When I was in Norway on the drive to Gerainger Fjord there was this gorgeous lake, beyond words. I was looking at it in awe when my Tour Manager came up to me and we were discussing how lovely it was there, and he made an ignorant comment about how there was nothing as beautiful in the US as was this, keep in mind he had never been to the US. I've been to some beautiful places in the US - Yosemite and the Grand Canyon come to mind, but I know there are several more that I still need to visit. I'm not sure that any one place that I've been to is as picturesque as this little lake was, or Gerainger Fjord for that matter. But for the concentration of land that Hawaii is and the vast types of landscapes, I think Hawaii would be the most beautiful place I've been. In particular, it was Kauai that won my heart.
Hawaii though wasn't as relaxed as I thought it might be. Perhaps my expectations were too high with the "hang loose" and surfer representation that we get from TV and movies. Or maybe it was because I only had a little time in each place and was trying to make the most of my time, without killing myself. Or maybe being on a cruise with other overworked, overstressed people separated us from the Hawaiian culture too much.
